Touching in the face mask incidentally is no foul. Grabbing the face mask and releasing is 5 yards. Grabbing following by pulling, twisting or turning is 15 yards.

Touching in the face mask incidentally is no foul. Grabbing the face mask and releasing is 5 yards. Grabbing following by pulling, twisting or turning is 15 yards.

 

On what level is that rule? I'm stunned by that statement. I've never seen an accidental face mask not called in the NFL.

To add to what FBRules posted, this is a foul by any player, offensive or defensive. When officials see a hand on or near the facemask they look for fingers hooking or grasping the mask bars, or helmet opening. If a runner places his stiff arm hand on the defender's facemask but does not grasp it, it is not a foul. If he hoooks his fingers in the mask or grasps the mask, it should be called a foul.

 

The rule stated above applies to high school, and I believe it is the same for all levels including youth, NCAA and NFL.

To add to what FBRules posted, this is a foul by any player, offensive or defensive. When officials see a hand on or near the facemask they look for fingers hooking or grasping the mask bars, or helmet opening. If a runner places his stiff arm hand on the defender's facemask but does not grasp it, it is not a foul. If he hoooks his fingers in the mask or grasps the mask, it should be called a foul.

 

The rule stated above applies to high school, and I believe it is the same for all levels including youth, NCAA and NFL.

 

Hmmmm.....I stand corrected. You learn something everyday, right? I always thought that ANY contact by the defender to the offensive mask was a penalty. Very well then. I'll keep that in mind.

I see no double standard here. Both offensive and defensive players can use an OPEN hand to the facemask as long as the open hand is placed on the ball carriers facemask or the tackling defender's facemask. If the two players are not in on the play, then it's a penalty. Once either one (offensive or defensive) curls their fingers around the mask, it's a penalty.

Ok, so how often do you see offensive players get called for it? I would say it's extremely rare. I've seen defensive backs have their heads pushed back so far that the back of their heads almost touch the numbers on their jersey. I've seen defensive players get pulled to the ground by their masks. It doesn't get called that often. I didn't say there wasn't a rule against it. It's much the same way with pass interference. You might see offensive pass interference called once in 15 games. Yeah, there's a rule for it. But it's not something that gets called often.

miss read an earlier post, my bad.

oops! wrong thought again.

Hard rock,

 

Guess we'll just have to work on that as well as we strive for perfection.

 

FBRULES

I'm not complaining. I think football, for the majority, is called fine. With the human element, you'll never have perfection. But you can try to get there. I just hope they don't do to all the rules the way they did with protecting the QB, and not being able even touch them without getting a penalty.

My comment is in reference to another thread where it is stated that we don't work "for perfection." Guess that one rubbed me the wrong way.

I didn't say that did I? I don't remember saying it, and didn't mean to if I did. Was it one of the posts by doubleduece? Those had been edited before I saw them. I know refs have a hard job. Especially with all the tension of the two rival teams against each other. Plus all the people in the stands. Refs earn their money. That's for sure.

I've gotta say illegal on this one. I think ANYTIME the defense touches the offensive players mask, it's a penalty. The severity of the penalty is determined later. But I'm pretty sure any contact is a penalty.

Yes i believe that is correct

Yes i believe that is correct

 

Well according to some other posts here, that's incorrect. Apparently incidental touching isn't a penalty. I didn't know that.

I didn't say that did I? I don't remember saying it, and didn't mean to if I did. Was it one of the posts by doubleduece? Those had been edited before I saw them. I know refs have a hard job. Especially with all the tension of the two rival teams against each other. Plus all the people in the stands. Refs earn their money. That's for sure.

 

 

No I edited my post. I was posting about how I always thought it was illegal

for a defender to touch an offensive players mask, period. But then re-reading

some of the other post on this thread I was getting confused, nothing new about that though.